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Abstract

Although focus groups are commonly used in product design to gather requirements about new products, they have limitations in that: 1) it is difficult to discuss numerous usability issues with a group of participants in a short time period; and 2) novice participants may not discover many usability issues. Simple strategies can be employed to overcome these challenges. This paper reports a case study in which Product-Interactive Focus Groups (PIFG) were used in conjunction with a questionnaire to evaluate cell phone user interfaces. The entire process of the PIFG, including preparation, procedure, data collection and analysis, is described in detail. Finally, lessons learned and practical recommendations are provided.

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Use of Product-Interactive Focus Groups for Requirements Capture and Usability Assessment

Abstract

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